DEAR JOAN: On my walk the other day I came across two dead birds. One of them appears to be a peregrine falcon with bands.

The falcon appeared to be ready for lunch as it had feathers in its talons, and may have flown into the power lines or the telephone pole. Both birds were at the base of the pole.

I reported this to San Jose Animal Control with their online form and let them know I had pictures of the bands, but I have heard nothing from them.

I’m sure whomever banded this bird would like to be aware of its outcome. Can you help me let the proper people know?

Tim Toschi, San Jose

DEAR TIM: How very sad to see such a magnificent bird lying so still. You should report the bird’s death to the United State Geological Survey’s North American Bird Banding Program at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland. You can file a report online or call 800-327-BAND.

The silver band on the falcon’s right leg is definitely a USGS band; the black band with the white letters on the left will identify it as part of a study or to a specific location where it was banded.

Update on Will

Last week I reported on a horrific case of abuse of two 6-week-old kittens that were brought into a Pet Food Express store in Benicia, suffering wounds to their paws and legs. The woman who brought the kittens into store, intent upon leaving them there, said they were going to be used as bait for pit bulls in an illegal dog fight.

All four paws on both kittens had been bound with rubber bands, purportedly to keep these tiny, defenseless kittens from scratching fully grown fighting dogs. Their feet were bloody and swollen and neither cat could walk.

Will and Grace, shortly after their rescue. Grace didn’t survive her injuries, but Will is doing well. Courtesy of Solano County Friends of Animals

Fortunately for the kittens, the manager at the store also is a volunteer with Solano County Friends of Animals, and she soon had the network of volunteers swinging into action, taking the cats to a vet for treatment and reporting the woman to authorities.

The two tabby kittens were named Will and Grace, and despite the abuse they suffered, both showed signs of wanting to be cuddled.

Sadly, Grace already had developed gangrene in her paws. One leg was infected up to her shoulder and the other three were almost as bad. Facing multiple amputations, the painful decision was made to end her life humanely.

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Solano County Friends of Animals, a nonprofit rescue group that relies on volunteers to foster animals and donations to pay for spaying and neutering, launched a Go Fund Me drive that went from $195 to more than $2,000 over night. The fund has continued to grow — it’s up to more than $6,500 — and Pet Food Express has pledged another $1,250 to Will’s fund.

Will and Grace’s story has been published throughout the country and the United Kingdom. Offers of help and requests to adopt Will have given the volunteers reason to be optimistic not only about Will’s future but for humanity itself.

Ruby Waderich, who heads the group, says Will is getting excellent care in his foster home and a few days ago, purred for the first time. Although he faces more surgery and the possibility of losing a paw, he is beginning to walk around and play.

The road to recovery will be long. If you want to contribute to his fund, you can do so at the Go Fund Me page or by sending a check to SCFOA,P.O. Box 235, Benicia 94510.

Joan Morris is the pets & wildlife columnist for the Bay Area News Group. She also writes about gardening and is the founder of Our Garden, a demonstration garden in Walnut Creek. Morris started her career in 1978 as a reporter for a small New Mexico newspaper. She has lived in the Bay Area since 1988.